“Who’re you?” Quint snarled, startled.
“Someone who thinks a lot like you, only when I decided to take the high vantage to watch them soldier boys, I went higher up the hillside. Imagine my surprise when you three come up here and plop yourselves down right in front of me.”
Raymer spoke before Quint’s temper took hold of him. “You’re watching them, too?”
“Yep, for two days, now. Came to a lot of the same conclusions as you prisoners.”
The prisoners comment had been intentional. It let them know that the old man recognized the tattered remnants they wore. Despite spending a night in the river, they were still stained so dark, they would never be clean again.
“What conclusions?” Ander asked.
“Ah, the royal speaks, again. You were right, son. About ten days ago small groups of soldiers arrived in these hills and found camps. Cold camps. No horses. Every few days they pick up and move west again, but only after sending out scouts to make sure nobody sees them.”
Quint narrowed his eyes, and his voice softened, much like a snake acts before striking. “There are others?”
“Yep, and more coming. Just about every soldier the King has seemed to be heading this way, in small companies. They’re taking any people living around these parts into custody and keeping them in a dead end valley called Big John’s Gulch.”
“Why?” Raymer asked.
“So they can’t spread the word about the soldiers moving ‘til whatever is happening is done.”
Raymer sensed the old man knew more. “Where are they headed?”
The old man turned to face Quint. “Don’t know for sure, but I suspect they’re going to pay your folks a visit.”
“You know me?” Quint asked.
“Know of you, to be more accurate. The kingdom of Northwood puts out reward posters for information about a lost man matching your description for most of a year, now. Handsome reward, too. Not many men fit the description.”
“Reward posters?” Raymer asked.
“They want information about a missing diplomat. That’d be your friend, here, unless I see things wrong.”
Quint paused as if considering the details of the conversation and he finally put them together. “The whole army is making its way north of Bear Mountain? They’re planning a sneak attack on Northwood?”
“Gone beyond planning, if you’re asking me.”
“I have to get word to my father,” Quint said.
“Not gonna happen,” the old man said. “I’ve been scouting around for days and barely managed to avoid them. They ain’t great woodsmen, but there’s too many of them. Best to settle down and wait for this to pass.”
“I’ll get through.”
“Three, maybe four days ago, you might have. Now there are troops on nearly high point, watchin’. They know it takes only one to get through and warn Northwood, then the invasion might fail.”
“There must be another way.”
“Nope. You got to go all the way down to the bottom of the Raging Mountains for another way through. That’d take twelve, or fourteen days at least. And nobody’s going over them. You just ran out of choices.”
Quint settled back on his heels. After a time, he said, “Listen to me and remember this well. My mother’s first pet was a pig she called Chubby. When this is over, you go to Northwood, to the Warrington Castle and tell them of this encounter. Tell them King Embers burned the treaty I carried and ordered me to the dungeons. Speak to my family and tell them of my mother’s pig. You’ll get the reward.”
The old man spat near Quint’s foot. “You’re still talking like you’re gonna try sneaking past all these men. I’m telling you I can’t do it, so you sure as hell can’t.”
He gathered his few things and turned to Raymer. “Sorry to deprive you of my grand company, but I have to do this. You two stay put until the army is gone, and make your way to Northwood. You’ll be treated well.”
“You can’t go alone,” Ander said.
“It’s my family. I have to go.”
Much the same feeling as when a dragon flew past struck Raymer. Instead of a sharp pain on his back, he felt it in his stomach. Family. Quint was going to risk his life for his family, just as Raymer risked his for his clan.
Where do loyalties lie? He saw a possible solution, but there were a hundred considerations. As much as the old man had helped them, Raymer didn’t wish to risk his family any more than Quint did, but he had to make choices. Worse, he had to make the right ones.
He turned to the old man and reached out his hand to shake. “We appreciate your warnings and help, but need to be on our way. What are your plans?”
“When you boys leave I’ll slip off to somewhere safe so you can’t tell them about me when they catch and torture you for information. Then I’ll make my way to Castle Warrington to earn myself that reward.” He stood and nodded to the others before moving up the hillside and disappearing into the dense brush.
Quint said, “You two are not going with me. You heard the man. Wait and head west in a few weeks if you don’t mind. My Earl needs to know how this all happened.”
“He said you can’t get through because of all the soldiers,” Ander said.
“Maybe only one man can. I don’t have any choice, but I have to try.”
Raymer said, “He’s right. He couldn’t live with himself if his family is killed and he didn’t try to help, let alone, all the other people who may die.”
Quint reached out to shake Raymer’s hand.
Raymer shook his head. “You aren’t the only one with a family to protect. I was captured while on my way to locate more of the Dragon Clan near here.
In his usual manner, Quint said, “How does that affect me?”
“The clan I was sent to find lives on the south slopes of Bear Mountain. Despite what everyone says, there is another way.”
Quint held still and finally said, “You’re sure?”
“Of course not. But I’ll tell you what I am sure of. I’m sure that if you go where the army is traveling you’ll be caught for sure.”
“Tell me about the other route. I’ve never heard of it.”
“Nobody has. The Dragon Clan lives there. Several families used to, and I was going to meet with them. There are many factions of the clan. Young ones move from group to group until we find a mate.”
Ander said, “They live there in secret?”
“They have to. Otherwise, your King sends men to kill us all.”
“What about other kings?” Ander asked.
“Some treat us better than others, but nobody really likes us. Some tolerate us, or owe us favors for helping them in some way.”
Quint said, “You two can talk about old times later. Raymer, you believe these people are living there? I have never heard of them, but if there is another passage, I need to know.”
“It makes little difference. If they are living there, we ask for horses and their help. If not, we travel on foot as fast as possible to your people and warn them. Maybe we can locate horses on the way. At least, we will not run into a company of troops who recognize our clothes and probably kill us on sight.”
Ander looked from one to the other and said, “Raymer, you’re willing to put your family in danger to help Quint?”
CHAPTER TEN
Raymer led the way from the army campsite, taking a more southerly direction as they moved west. Now and then he caught a glimpse of the peak of Bear Mountain above the other hills and the tops of the trees. Each time he asked himself if he was doing the right thing. Each time he decided he was, renewing his confidence.